Is there any way to maintain and improve endurance without piling up too much running?
Yes, enough strength training.
Some runners don't know that they need to improve their running ability, not only running, but also strength training. Some runners know that they need strength training more or less.
But in fact, the attention and time devoted to strength training are not enough, only occasionally practicing strength, or as an alternative to not going out for running in rainy days.
In fact, for mass runners, the importance of strength training cannot be overemphasized. Strength training is not only an ornament of running training, but also a compulsory course for runners every week. Adequate and correct strength training can make up for the lack of running ability to a great extent.
To put it bluntly, strength training can replace some running, so that you can still make continuous progress without piling up running!
Running is of limited help to improve strength, but strength training is of great help to improve running ability, which is summed up by people's years of experience, so people usually agree with the old problem that weightlifting training makes you run faster;
But in fact, there is always not much conclusive evidence at the scientific research level.
1. Scientific research has confirmed how strength training can improve running ability.
But it is gratifying that there is a meta-analysis that scientifically summarizes this issue. First of all, it simply popularized a scientific concept for runners? What is this? Meta-study, meta-study is a statistical application method.
In this way, experts can integrate and evaluate numerous studies.
For example, some studies do find that running can lead to arthritis, but other studies have come to the opposite conclusion. In fact, all this comes from scientific research, and scientific research itself is full of uncertainty, and it is normal for the results to be contradictory.
But which research results should the public listen to?
Fortunately, we have a powerful meta-analysis tool, through which scientists can systematically, scientifically and comprehensively evaluate many research papers on the same issue;
Eliminate those low-quality or unqualified studies, then integrate and evaluate those high-quality studies with certain statistical methods, and finally draw the most scientific conclusions and suggestions;
This is the so-called evidence-based medicine, that is, we believe the evidence from scientific research, not from experience or hearsay rumors.
This is a meta-analysis published in Research on Strength and Physical Training, No.2016, The Impact of Strength Training on Running Economy of High-level Trainers. S: A systematic review of meta-analysis of controlled studies.
This study systematically analyzed all the literatures about whether strength training can improve running ability. There were1* * 699 studies included in the study, and finally 5 high-quality studies were used for meta-analysis, and the inclusion criteria were very strict:
1, the subjects must be high-level middle and long-distance runners;
2. Their maximum oxygen uptake is at least 60ml/kg/min, which shows that they are top athletes;
3. The study must have a control group, that is, a group of middle runners receive strength training and a group of middle runners do not receive strength training;
4. The strength training plan must be at least four weeks;
5. Before and after the strength training period, the running economy must be measured.
Results There were ***5 experiments, and the research on 93 excellent middle and long distance runners showed that:
After 8- 12 weeks and 2-3 times of moderate strength training per week (equivalent to 40-70% of 1RM), the running economy of these elite athletes has been significantly improved;
Under the same intensity, the average oxygen uptake decreased by 2.32 ml/kg/min.
In other words, after strength training, athletes can use 3-4% less oxygen to maintain the same speed, or they can use less oxygen intake to lower their heart rate and run at the same intensity.
Second, the important mechanism of strength training to improve running ability? Improve operation economy
Here, I also want to explain to runners what is running economy.
Run the economy? Also known as running efficiency, it refers to the energy consumed by the body during running, or the amount of oxygen taken in by the body at a certain speed.
Take the simplest example, you will understand that two cars with the same weight, one car can run 400 kilometers with a tank of oil, and the other car can run 500 kilometers, which naturally shows that the latter is fuel-efficient and economical.
The essence of running economy is the energy utilization rate of the body per unit time. Simply put, at the same speed, whoever consumes less energy and oxygen per unit time will have higher running efficiency and be more economical and labor-saving.
Therefore, running performance has a great relationship with running economy.
Maximum oxygen uptake is a physiological index familiar to senior runners, and it is also a gold index to evaluate aerobic capacity.
So what is the difference between maximal oxygen uptake and running economy in evaluating runners' endurance?
Maximum oxygen uptake: It is to evaluate the maximum capacity of the body to take in oxygen under extreme exercise intensity, so it reflects the strength of cardiopulmonary capacity.
Running economy: refers to the energy consumed by the body or the amount of oxygen taken in at the same speed, so it reflects the comprehensive ability of various organ systems of the body.
Research shows that the running economy of runners with similar maximal oxygen uptake plays a decisive role in running performance.
The better the running economy, the smaller the percentage of maximum oxygen uptake at a certain speed and the smaller the lactic acid value.
In other words, under extreme strength, the greater the maximum oxygen uptake, the better, but under non-extreme strength, such as fixed pace, the smaller the oxygen uptake, the better, that is, the better the running economy.
The lower the oxygen intake and heart rate at the same speed, the higher the running economy.
Third, increasing muscle strength can make running more labor-saving
Why can strength training effectively improve running economy and make running more labor-saving? We can understand this problem like this, for example:
During running, your muscles don't work 100%, but a certain proportion of muscles are working, and other muscles are resting, so that different muscles can rest and work alternately;
If your strength is average, you will use 60% of your muscles to do work every time you run.
In other words, 60% muscles are working, the remaining 40% muscles are resting, and then muscle fibers will work alternately.
After improving muscle strength through strength training, the number of your muscle fibers may not increase, but the strength of each muscle fiber has increased. In this case, if you run at the same speed, you only need to work with 40% muscles to meet your work needs.
This means that 60% muscles are at rest, and less muscles are used to produce more strength;
On the one hand, the oxygen consumption of muscles decreases, on the other hand, more muscles are resting, and more muscles can work alternately, which is equivalent to giving more muscles more rest time.
Generally speaking, it will extend the working hours of all muscles.